Industrial Field of Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for frying food and more particularly to a fryer having a frying vessel wherein an oil bath is positioned in the upper portion of the frying vessel and a water bath is positioned in the lower portion of the frying vessel.
Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,549 teaches a fryer having a frying vessel wherein an oil bath is positioned in the upper portion of the vessel and a water bath is positioned in the lower portion of the frying vessel. The frying vessel of the '549 patent teaches that the boundary area between the oil bath and the water bath is cooled by means of a plurality of air intake pipes that run horizontally through the frying vessel from front to back and connect to the outside of the frying vessel. Cooling the boundary area allows bits of food and fried batter that became dislodged from the frying food to float down to the bottom of the frying vessel thereby minimizing oxidation of the frying oil caused by these bits of food and batter. Cooling the boundary area also helps to prevent water from rising to the top of the oil bath and forming steam or bubbles on the surface of the oil bath. Minimizing the oxidation of the frying oil allows the oil to be reused rather than discarded.
It has been found that using a plurality of air intake pipes to cool the boundary area between the water and the oil results in a high cost for fabrication of the fryer because these cooling pipes are each welded individually to the external wall of the oil bath. Additionally, the plurality of the pipes makes cleaning of the interior of the frying vessel difficult because of the number and closeness of the cooling pipes to each other and to the side walls of the frying vessel itself.
Another problem has also been found associated with the storage of the hot frying oil during cleaning of the frying vessel. Because these types of fryers prolong the life of the frying oil, it is possible to save the oil between cleanings and to reuse the oil. A problem has arisen as to how to safely and efficiently store the oil between cleanings. During frying, the oil has a temperature of around 200.degree. C. It is both dangerous and troublesome to remove the hot oil from the frying vessel prior to cleaning. To allow the hot oil to cool to a safe temperature for handling takes a great deal of time and slows the cleaning process.
There is a need for a means to safely and efficiently store the hot oil during cleaning. There is also a need to reduce the number of air pipes used to cool the oil and water boundary area thereby reducing the cost for fabrication.